May the Spell Be Unbroken
by TheNeedsOfMany
Summary: It's the day of Emma's 28th birthday...and the final battle has begun. Told by the townspeople themselves, this story is one of endings, and beginnings; love, and hate; triumph, and sorrow.
1. Chapter 1 Broken Spell

**Chapter 1-Broken Spell**

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Emma, happy birthday to you!" everyone sang.

Emma Swan looked around Granny's Diner at all the smiling faces. It seemed like the whole town was packed in the diner. Mary Margaret Blanchard, the planner behind the party, was there of course. David Nolan was there as well. Emma figured that that was his futile attempt to catch Mary Margaret's attention. Among the others there were Ruby, Leroy, Astrid, and Ashley and Sean. Even Mr. Gold had come, though Emma wasn't quite sure why. He wasn't exactly the birthday party type.

Mary Margaret looked at the clock on the wall of the diner. "It's almost officially your birthday-down to the very minute," she said excitedly. "Have you made your wish yet?"

Emma frowned in mock disapproval. "I ought to lock you up for putting all those candles on the cake."

Mary Margaret grinned, "Twenty-eight isn't that old. Wait until you're seventy-eight, and you have to blow out all of those candles!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Emma laughed.

Emma turned to Henry, who stood beside her. "Wanna help me blow the candles out?" Henry nodded excitedly.

She looked at the clock again and then back at Henry. They both took deep breaths and blew out the candles. Cheers and clapping erupted from the party guests.

Then, Emma felt strange. The sight of the party inside Granny's flickered before her. In between seeing Granny's, she saw an enormous open field...

She shook her head. She hadn't slept well the past few nights. Surely she was just seeing things due to a lack of sleep.

Then, the ground shook under Emma's feet. She grabbed hold of a table and crouched down. This time, she knew she wasn't crazy. All the party guests had felt it too, and were murmuring frantically amongst themselves. Except for Mr. Gold. He was crouched down, still holding his cane, near the floor too like everyone else. But instead of a concerned look, a small smile played across his face.

Henry's face was white as a sheet. "Wha-what was that?"

Emma frowned and looked at Mary Margaret, who looked just as frightened.

The ground rocked again, this time, harder. Pots and pans could be heard falling in the kitchen, and several of the women shrieked.

Emma saw Mr. Gold slipping out the door in the midst of the chaos. She followed him. As she swung the door open and stepped outside, she stepped not onto a concrete sidewalk, but into the same lush green meadow she saw earlier. "What the..." she turned, and once again, she saw the streets of Storybrooke.

Emma chased after Gold. "Hey!" Gold ignored her and continued down the street, presumably to his pawnshop. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

As she caught up to Gold, another tremor shook the town. Emma and Gold both grabbed hold of a streetlight to steady themselves.

"Where am I goin'? I'm goin' back to my shop, dearie. I must check my merchandise in case there was damage."

"Oh, no, you're not! You know exactly what is going on here, don't you?"

"I have no idea what you mean, _dearie_." he said innocently. Emma saw right through his lie, and he knew it.

Gold sighed. "I'm surprised, to tell the truth. I would'a thought you'd figured out what was going on already. Don't you see?"

"See what?" Mary Margaret said behind Emma. Emma jumped, startled, and turned around to find all the guests from her birthday party had followed her outside and had crowded around her.

Henry shoved his way to where Emma and Gold stood, facing off. His eyes were wide. "Emma!" he cried. "It's the curse!"

"Not now, Henry." she said impatiently.

Gold leaned on his cane. "The child is right, dearie. It is your twenty-eighth birthday, and the curse is failing."

Emma looked at him in disbelief. "You knew about the curse?"

"What don't I know _dearie_?"

The town rocked and pitched. The sidewalk started to crack and buildings started to crumble. Everyone huddled down together to keep from falling over. Before their very eyes, the town began to sink into the ground. Buildings, streets, houses: they all disappeared. Before long, all that existed was a large meadow, the one Emma saw earlier.

A laugh that sent chills down Emma's spine came from behind Gold, or what used to be Gold. He had changed, somehow.

The laugh belonged to Regina, or whoever-or whatever-she was. She was dressed in an all-black gown, and she looked positively evil. She walked towards them, oozing confidence and magic. Emma shivered, despite the warmth of the sun.

"Dear, dear Rumpel, you didn't think the spell would be broken that easily, did you?"


	2. Chapter 2 Broken Glass

**Chapter 2-Broken Glass**

The Queen tilted her head back and laughed towards the heavens. She felt a rush of power and magic course through her veins. It was the first time in too long that she had been able to let go and be herself. Back in Storybrooke, she had had to keep her true identity a secret.

She looked around at the confused and scared people milling around the meadow. To her, they looked like a swarm of ants, easily squashed by a well-placed shoe. This was going to be too easy to defeat the rag-tag group of previous Storybrooke town residents. It would be especially easy to defeat Emma, who looked like a frightened and scared little girl.

The Queen lifted her face once more and spread her arms to the sky. Thunder rolled and lightning flashed at her command. "_Enim, oseck, triibe! Cossa dessa fraaj xemplia!_" Suddenly, there was a terrible noise that rose above the thunder. In the distance, she saw ogres, ghouls, and demons rising from the ground as they heeded her command. At last, good would lose.

She pulled out her miniature mirror from a pocket in her dress. She clasped the ornate handle tightly in both of her hands and smirked. "So, Sidney, glad to be back where you belong?"

Sidney, or rather, the genie of the Magic Mirror once more, glared bitterly at her and howled, enraged. "You promised I would never come back to this…this cage!"

The Queen laughed loudly, "You really thought I'd let _you_ go free?"

"I demand you let me go free!"

"You, dear Sidney, are in the position to demand nothing. You were the one who wished to be in a mirror, after all."

He gritted his teeth and seethed, "You think this was _my_ idea? To be in a mirror alongside-" he grimaced as if he had tasted something bitter, "_you_ my whole life?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "Fine then. Be free if you wish it. But don't say I didn't warn you."

As she waved her hand, a plume of deep plum-colored smoke came from the mirror, and created a human-sized cloud in front of her. From the middle of the plume stepped the man from the mirror, a genie once more. He brushed himself off and looked guarded, cautious. "You really are letting me free?"

She slipped her mirror back in her pocket and stepped closer to him, with her hand still in her inside. Her hand gripped around a small metal object, also in the pocket. She reached her other hand out from her side and traced her finger along his cheekbone. He shivered in pleasure, and a bit of fear. "Of course I am..." her voice trailed off and her face hardened. She pulled him closer to herself in an embrace. As she did, she pulled the thing out of her pocket she had been holding, revealing it to be a small dagger. Sidney, hypnotized by the Queen's magic touch, never noticed.

She murmured softly in his ear "...I would never deny anyone their freedom."

As she spoke, she thrust the dagger into Sidney's chest. A small gasp escaped from him as his face twisted grotesquely in pain. He grabbed frantically for the dagger, but the Queen easily brushed his hands way. She twisted the dagger around in his chest, and then yanked it out. He grabbed at his wound, and collapsed to the ground, moaning as his lifeblood gushed from him.

He looked up at her from the ground. He gathered enough strength to ask one question, "_Why_?"

He gasped and gurgled as blood filled his lungs. His eyes rolled back, and his head fell to the ground. A small trickle of blood escaped from his mouth as he drew one last jagged breath.

The Queen smirked and stepped over him and went on her way, leaving the crumpled lifeless body behind.

"I didn't need you anymore." She replied as she went on her way.


	3. Chapter 3 Old Demons

**Old Demons**

Rumpelstiltskin watched from a distance as Sidney Glass fell to the ground. He knew if he didn't act, he and everyone else would be slain just as Glass had. 

He threw his cane aside, not needing it anymore. His old powers as the Dark One had returned, and he relished in the strength it gave him. It was addicting, this power. He felt it course through him like fire. His eyes gleamed with delight. 

He shook his head. He must stay focused on killing the Queen once and for all. He must take charge.

He held his head in agony. A thousand demons raged in his body, in his mind. How had he lived with this before? He smiled bitterly. Ah yes, he had given into the dark magic that held him captive, that's what. But he didn't have that luxury today. He must not give in! 

He saw all the townspeople wandering around, dazed and confused. There would be time to explain the intricacies of the curse to them all later. 

First, they must defeat the Queen. He was pleased to see that all the swords and other weaponry had been unharmed during the transfer back to the Enchanted Forest. For the duration of being in Storybrooke, Rumpelstiltskin had kept all the weapons cleaned and sharpened in the pawnshop's basement, waiting for this day. He hoped everyone remembered how to use a sword. 

Rumpelstiltskin looked over at Emma and saw she looked frightened. With good reason, too, he thought. This was the first time of her being in the Enchanted Forest since she was a newborn. 

This was the first time he'd seen her in a dress. It was a pretty dress, he thought absently. At least she didn't have that darn sheriff's badge on...though it DID come in handy a time or two. 

He moved quickly over to her. As he approached, her look of fear increased. Her lip quivered nervously. "D-don't hurt me, please!" He knew she didn't recognize him as his Storybrooke self, Mr. Gold.

"I won't hurt you dearie." he smiled, gently. He knew his attempt at a gentle smile came across more as a leering smile, but he couldn't help that. She flinched visibly.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Why, I'm Mr. Gold, dearie."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're…Gold?"

He sighed with impatience. "Aye, dearie. And there is no time to waste."

"No time to waste? Where is this place? What are we doing here? What happened to you?"

He glanced over to her son, Henry, who was peeling himself off the ground where he had been thrown during the quakes. "Henry!" he called.

Henry looked over at him, his eyes as wide as saucers, and his face still pale from shock. He had grass stains on his shirt and pants (which had been transformed into something a bit more fitting for a fairytale), and he had a smudge of dirt on his cheek. As he cautiously approached Rumpelstiltskin and Emma, he brushed at the grass stains, probably worried Regina would fuss at him for getting dirty.

"Y-yes sir?" Henry swallowed nervously.

"You know what is happening, do you not?"

He nodded. "Sure, the final battle." He turned to Emma, "You have to battle the Evil Queen to finally break the curse."

It looked as if everything was finally clicking in Emma's mind. The sudden transportation to the large meadow…the funny looking clothing…and the sounds of rapidly approaching evil…it was all making sense.

She took a deep breath. "Okay, so what do I need to do?"

Rumpelstiltskin had already begun walking off with another agenda on his mind. "Kill the Queen." He said as he disappeared into the throng of people

**Next time: The battle lines are drawn…**

**Author's note: Phew! I can't believe I got another chapter up this fast! Thanks for your feedback, and please, by all means, don't stop! I hope that you all are enjoying reading this story as much as I am enjoying writing it. **


	4. Chapter 4 Edge of the Sword

**Chapter 4 Edge of the Sword**

He found himself face to face with the ugliest ogre imaginable. Its oversized head was too large for its body, which was no more than skin and bones. He wondered how the creature stayed upright. Deep wrinkles creased the creature's skin, giving it the appearance that it once had meat on its bones. What little hair the creature had was patchy on its head, and matted down. And it smelled. The smell was worse than being downwind from a sheep farm.

James reached automatically for the sword at his side, and unsheathed it. As he wielded his sword in front of the creature, he couldn't help but be pleased he still had not lost his skills as a swordsman.

He thrust his sword at the creature, attempting to keep it at bay. Since all the dark creatures the Queen conjured up needed no man-made weapons, he had to watch out for their only defense: their bodies. These monsters would use their teeth, claws, and any other means possible to defeat their enemies.

Around him, he saw more and more ogres, and ghouls, and demons envelop the meadow. It was a sea of death, both with the Queen's undead army of souls battling, and the humans and monsters lying dead.

The ogre he battled leaped at him, and James jumped backwards and sliced at the ogre, cutting its arm off. The ogre howled in agony, and clawed at James. He kicked the ogre in the head and stabbed his sword through the monster. As the ogre thudded heavily to the ground, dead, James was already in the middle of battling another creature.

He swung and stabbed and kicked his way around the battlefield. Bodies of the dead littered the once-pristine meadow. Mangled bodies of people he once knew lay in pools of blood. He wiped what he thought was sweat from his forehead, but when he pulled his hand away, his hand was covered in blood.

He didn't even remember getting cut on his forehead, but he wasn't surprised. That might also be why he felt a bit woozy…

James was growing tired. His side ached from the old wound he got as he was putting his daughter Emma in the enchanted tree the day the Queen's curse was enacted. His shoulder hurt too. The sword grew heavier in his hands. He pitifully attempted to fight a small troll, and was losing.

The troll arched his back suddenly, and grunted, falling face-down in front of James. Behind the troll was Snow White. She was holding a small dagger, and had a slight smirk on her face.

The smirk turned to concern when James gripped his head in agony. The pain, once a dull ache he could ignore, had become a roaring lion. And he was so weak…

He opened his hand, and his sword dropped out. It landed in the hand of a fallen comrade. James' eyes rolled back, and he staggered. Snow stepped forward to steady him, grabbing his shoulders. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine." he lied, even though he knew she could tell he wasn't fine.

He tried to walk forward, shrugging Snow's helping hands off his shoulders, but he stumbled and fell to his knees. He looked up at Snow through bleary eyes. Everything was fuzzy and spinning around it seemed.

Snow quickly bent down just as James pitched forward, his head falling into her lap. Her gentle hands (oh, how soft they were!) ran through his bloodied, matted hair. He could hear her sobbing above him. A few of her tears fell to his lips, wetting them enough to help him say what he had wanted to say for so long.

"I'm sorry…" James whispered. He wasn't sure if she heard him, for his voice was so faint.

The darkness called him. Tempted him. And he gave in, falling into unconsciousness.

**Next: what happens to our Prince Charming? Will he live to be reunited with Snow? **


	5. Chapter 5 A Helping Hand

**A/N: Thanks guys for being patient with me as I write this chapter! First I had trouble writing this chapter because, to be perfectly honest, Henry isn't my favorite character. Then when I finally had an idea of how to write the chapter, I didn't have the time to sit and write like I wanted to! Anyhow, here it is, and I hope you like it, and I promise I'll try to get more of the story wrote faster next time, okay? :D **

Chapter 5-A Helping Hand

A hand yanked Henry Mills out of harm's way. At that exact moment, a large rock, thrown by an ogre, slammed into the ground where he had just been standing. Henry looked to see who the hand belonged to. "A fairy?" he asked in surprise.

The fairy fluttered her wings and pulled on his arm again. "Come! We must go! Now!"  
>Henry had no choice but to run after her. "Where are you taking me? I need to be with Emma!"<p>

"Emma can take care of herself." the fairy shouted to be heard over the din of the battle.

After what seemed like forever of dodging swords and fallen soldiers, Henry and the fairy reached the outskirts of the meadow, where a dense forest of trees surrounded them. "We'll be safe here." the fairy said breathlessly.

Henry peered at the fairy. "Sister Astrid?" he asked. "Is that you?"

She smiled. "Yes, in Storybrooke. But my real name is Nova."

"Nova..." Henry paused. "I like that a lot better than Astrid."

Nova laughed. Her laugh sounded like little bells tinkling, as all fairy laughs do. "As do I, Henry."

Other fairies began to arrive at the edge of the forest with other children in tow.

"So, how come you are so strong? I mean, you're so little." Henry asked Nova.

She held out her hand to Henry. He peered into her hand, and saw little sparkly specks of... "Fairy dust?" he asked quizzically. Nova smiled and nodded.  
>He shook his head in amazement. He had read about the fairies' powers in his book, but he never imagined he'd get to see such wondrous things.<p>

He turned his attention back to the battle raging in front of them. It was chaos. He tried to find Emma and the Queen in the midst of it all. He breathed a sigh of relief. They had both become distracted by trying to fight off opposing sides, so they hadn't begun to battle each other. Yet.

"_I will destroy you, if it's the last thing I do_." Henry shuddered as he remembered the Queen's words to Emma.

Emma had said nothing. She had still been taking in these rapid changes. Henry had felt helpless, and he wished he could have made her believe before.

He guessed Emma believed now. She was now swinging her sword like a pro, knocking down Regina's minions at every slash of the blade. He was proud of his mom.

He stopped watching her long enough to notice that Nova and the other fairies were gone. He scanned the area, trying to find them. Then he saw them. They were working furiously with their fairy dust to help heal the wounded in the thick of the battle.

Henry got up and ran over to help. The Blue Fairy saw him coming and hovered in front of him. "Where do you think you're going, Henry?" she demanded, crossing her miniature arms in front of her.

"I'm here to help."

She shook her head. "War is not the place for a boy."

"Please let me help!" he pleaded. "I can help. Can't I do something?"

She sighed, and pointed to the trees. She knew he would help even if she continued to tell him no. "Fine, go into the forest, there, and you will find a well. It's not far. Go get some water for the thirsty."

Henry dashed off, eager to help. He quickly reached the edge of the forest again and stopped. He peered into the depths. It was dark inside the forest. He reached for the penlight he always kept in his pocket, and then remembered that it didnt exist in this new land.

He shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the forest anyway. The fairy had said the well wasn't too far. Surely it wouldnt be THAT dark near the edge of the forest.

Henry looked around nervously as the chaos of the battle dissolved behind him as he walked deeper into the forest. It got quieter the deeper he went.

The fairy was right, as all fairies are. The well wasn't far at all. Henry peered over the edge. He couldn't see the water, but he knew it had to be there. He grabbed the water bucket and lowered it into the well.

Leaves rustled behind him. Henry whirled around. "Who's there?" he called nervously. A twig snapped, and Henry caught a glimpse of a large shadow moving slowly towards him. He forgot all about the water, and ran back towards the meadow.

The shadow was faster though. It reached for Henry and roughly threw a burlap sack over his head. Henry wrinkled his nose as he struggled against his captor. It smelled of death. Then he screamed.


	6. Chapter 6 Unguarded

Chapter 6 Unguarded

Rumpelstiltskin was enjoying himself. His fingers clenched down on the neck of the demon, laughing manically as he dangled it in midair. The demon squirmed and kicked and gasped, trying to break free, but Rumpelstiltskin's magic was stronger than the demon's magic. His eyes gleamed like two obsidian stones as he dug his fingers deeper into the flesh of the creature he held.

The creature went limp ("_Plucky little fellow_", Rumpelstiltskin chuckled to himself), and he tossed the body out of the way, moving on to his next victim.

And so he did, for the next few hours, methodically eliminating the enemy with a cold-hearted efficiency that would make even the best of assassins admire him.

He wiped his face with the back of his hand. A particularly ugly troll had swiped at his face and left a nasty scrape behind. Rumpelstiltskin looked at his hand. It was covered in blood. He sighed. He didn't have time to heal himself at the moment. All his extra energy and magic was being used in battle. He tried not to be distracted by the blood he felt trickling down his cheek.

Even though he had more energy than most mortals, he felt himself tiring after a while. His bum leg was aching some, and it hurt. He hurt all over, actually. He had been beaten, bitten, kicked, and scratched by the Queen's awful minions.

Suddenly, Rumpelstiltskin felt himself being picked up off the ground. His arms and legs flailed about as he tried to break free. He twisted his head around to see who ("_Or what_" he thought to himself) had captured him. It was a Giant. He tried to use his magic to get free, but as he knew already, the magic wouldn't work, since Giants are immune to magic.

They started making their way across the battlefield, easily moving through the throngs of people, and trampling those who got in the way. He cursed under his breath. He knew exactly where the Giant was taking him.

"So, Rumpel." the Evil Queen said, leering at him. "You seem to be...how shall I say this...tied up?"

He sneered at her. "As a matter of fact, I am, Your Majesty. Now, what is it that you want?"

She looked at the Giant. "Make sure his hands and feet are held tight. I don't want this...beast getting away."

As the Giant held Rumpelstiltskin tighter than before ("_As if that was even possible_!" he groaned), Regina sauntered over and reached her hand over towards him, grabbing hold of the metal handle of his dagger. An evil smile spread across her face as she slowly drew the dagger from its sheath at his side. Rumpelstiltskin squirmed and bit and clawed to try to break free, but he was no match for the Giant.

Regina held the dagger out in front of her, savoring the moment. "Rumpelstiltskin" she said, reading the name on the blade. "How I've waited for this day to come. Now that it's finally here, I'm a little disappointed." She tilted her head. "I expected more of a struggle."

Rumpelstiltskin snarled and gnashed his teeth at her, unable to do anything. She had planned this well. He berated himself for not seeing this coming. He would normally use magic to get out of his messes...the few he got into, that is. But with the Giant holding him, there wasn't much he could do, except die fighting.

Regina raised the dagger and bought the point up to his chin. "Today will be remembered as the day I rid this world of you." He flinched as she moved the dagger from his chin to his cheek. He felt the skin tear open and the blood ooze out. He could see his blood on the dagger.

She pulled the dagger away and examined the blood dripping from it. She dipped a finger into the blood and put it to her mouth. Her eyes burned like fire. "Tastes like victory..." she said, and plunged the dagger into Rumpelstiltskin's heart.


	7. Chapter 7 Wounded

**A/N: Wow, I've been busy today! I've loved getting to write all this today. Hopefully you guys are enjoying reading as much as I am writing! **

**Don't be afraid to post feedback...especially on this chapter. Snow and James aren't exactly my favorite characters, so I may not have gotten their characters quite right. I think I did a decent job though...let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

Chapter 7 Wounded

"Help! Someone please, help us!" Snow said through her sobbing. She cradled James' head in her lap as she sat there.

She reached down and tore a strip off the bottom of her dress and applied it to the wound on her beloved's forehead. Snow searched frantically for someone-anyone-who might could help. They were in the thick of the battle, and two unmoving people were prime targets for getting squished.

She heard the sound of tiny wings by her side, and sure enough, there was Tinkerbelle, there to help. Snow breathed a small sigh of relief. She gently rested James' head on the ground and stood up. She bent back down and picked James up, hefting him a bit as she did. _He's put on a few pounds lately_, she couldn't help but notice. Tink guided the way through the chaos of battle, knocking various creatures out of the way as she went along.

Snow followed carefully behind her, still carrying David. She stumbled over something, and nearly fell down. She looked down, and she realized it was a hand she had stumbled over. Tink helped steady her, and continued to guide her.

Tears streamed down Snow's face. She hoped James would live. But he had lost so much blood! She couldn't bear to lose him so soon after having him back. She would never leave his side ever again.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Tink, Snow, and James made it to the edge of the forest, where the other wounded were being brought. Snow stumbled again, this time from the weight of carrying James, and she tried to gently lower him down to the ground. Tink fluttered around James, waiting until he was on the ground before she tried to heal him.

Snow held James' head in her lap once more as Tink began to do her work. She pulled a tiny sack of fairy dust seemingly out of thin air. Tink flew down low over the gash on his head that was still gushing blood. She sprinkled a bit of the dust over the wound, and then closed her fairy dust sack back up. She smiled at Snow.

"Will he live?" Snow asked through the tears.

Tink patted her tiny hand on Snow's shoulder. "Give it time. Let the magic flow through him and make him strong again."

Snow wished Tink was bigger so that she could give her a hug for all she had done. Tink laughed, and winked at Snow. She flitted off to go help the other wounded.

Snow attempted to smooth out James' matted, bloodied hair. She licked her thumb and tried to clean the blood off of his face. She sighed. _What I wouldn't give for a bucket of water_, she thought.

At that moment, one of the others taking care of the wounded saw her trying to clean James. She brought over a small bucket of water. "Here," she said. "Take this."

Snow beamed at her. "Thank you!"

The woman with the water hobbled off to go take care of more wounded, who were piling in every minute.

Snow took her fabric she had torn off her dress earlier and dipped it into the bucket, wetting it. She wrung it out and dabbed her Prince's face with the cloth. "There, you look much better now. Now if only you'd wake up."

James' eyes fluttered. "Snow," he croaked through chapped lips.

Her face filled with jubilation as she heard him speak her name. She pressed her finger to his lips. "Shh." she told him. "No talking. Not until you start feeling better. You have a nasty cut on your head."

He stubbornly tried to lift his head. Snow gently, but firmly pushed it back down. "Stay." she commanded.

He managed a slight grin. "Am I a dog now?" he whispered.

Snow laughed. She couldn't help it. She was so overwhelmed emotionally that she laughed louder. She wished she could stay this happy forever.

Then she heard a scream come from the forest...

**Next: Who (or what) has Henry in the forest? Will this revelation turn the tide of the Final Battle?**


	8. Chapter 8 Captured

Chapter 8 Captured

Henry couldn't see where he was going. He just knew he and his captor were going somewhere-and fast. His captor roughly pulled him along, even picking Henry off the ground by his arm occasionally when Henry couldn't keep up.

He stumbled over a tree stump, and was practically yanked off his feet again. He was tired. Tired of running, tired of being pulled along.

Henry was breathing hard. But his captor somehow wasn't even out of breath. Of course, that might have to do something with the burlap sack over his head. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. It smelled like blood and old animal meat.

He figured they were going deeper into the forest. If they had been going to the meadow, they would have been there long before now.

Suddenly, Henry's captor stopped. Henry ran into him and fell down, unaware until that moment that he, or she, or it, had stood still.

He was so exhausted from running that he stayed sitting on the forest floor. His captor had let go of his hand when he fell, so Henry took that opportunity to yank the burlap sack off his head.

His eyes needed time to adjust to seeing again, which wasn't much. It was dark in this part of the forest, and he couldn't see well, even after his eyes began to adjust. "Who...who are you?" he asked quietly.

He could see the silhouette of his captor crouch down to the forest floor. It groaned softly and uttered with a slight lilt, "So she got to you too."

Henry squinched his eyes in confusion. "Who got me? What are you talking about?"

The man (Henry quickly had realized it was a man from the sound of the voice) continued without answering. "I knew she'd get me one day...but her own son! How could that wretch do this to her own son?"

Henry shook his head in confusion. The man must be delusional.

The man stood up and stepped towards Henry. He scooted backwards, partially out of fear, and partially because he saw that there was a small strip of sunlight behind him. If he could get the man to stand in the light, he could see just who he was dealing with. His mind raced to recall all the people from his book of fairy tales. There were just too many possibilities.

"Don't you recognize me, Henry?" the man asked, his voice broken and hurt. He took another step closer, falling for Henry's trap.

"Why should I?" Henry demanded.

There. He had reached the sunlight. With his back up next to a tree, he waited for the man to step into the sun.

When he did, he gasped, speechless. He knew who this was. But it couldn't be...could it?

"Graham?" he choked out. "Is that you?"


	9. Chapter 9 Broken Heart

Chapter 9 Broken Heart

Regina twisted the dagger deeper into Rumpelstiltskin's chest, then yanked it out. The giant dropped him roughly, and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. A bitter wind blew through him as his powers as the Dark One left him. Regina and the giant left him as well, off to do some other evil he supposed.

Blood gushed like river rapids from the wound. For the first time in many years, he felt weak. Out of control. And desperate. He tried to move his hands to his chest to attempt to stop the bleeding, but that just made more blood pour out. He gasped for breath and stopped trying to move.

His face twisted in pain. He cursed Regina, he cursed his curse that had created this mess, and he cursed the buffoons who wouldn't let him die in peace and stepped on him.

Never had he felt such pain. Not even when he had felt betrayed by his beloved, darling Belle. Not even when he had sent her from him. Not even when Regina had delivered the news of her suicidal jump from her father's castle.

Regina. He spat on the ground with what little strength he had left. He only wished the ground he spat on could have been her face.

The noises around him began to fade to a dull roar. He blinked slowly. He was getting sleepy...

Fight! He didn't have time to die right now. Emma needed him if they were going to break the curse.

But part of him didn't want to fight. Part of him wanted to give in...it would be so easy to give in...

The thought of dying and leaving the pain behind was too appealing. He felt cold. He lifted his head up, hoping to catch someone's attention. But he was too weak...

His head splashed down in a puddle of his own blood. His eyes closed. The pain was dissipating. He felt numb all over.

His breath grew jagged. He coughed, and he tasted blood. He gasped for one last breath. Surely, he had one more in him!

Rumpelstiltskin suddenly felt something move his hair. At first he thought it was a breeze. He forced his eyes open. There in front of him was Belle.

He blinked rapidly. "Belle?" he rasped. "Is-is that you?"

She nodded and reached out her hand. "Come." she said.

He took her hand without question. She certainly seemed real enough. Though he had been told she was dead. Was he dead now too?

Belle pulled him up off the ground with ease. He looked at his chest. How could this be? He looked at the ground where he had been. A crumpled, bloodied version of himself was lying there, motionless.

"Am I..." he trailed off, not wanting to say the word.

His beloved nodded, and smiled. "Yes. Come."

Dazed, and a bit confused, he followed her through the chaos of the battle still raging around them. Swords slashed through them. A dwarf fell through his abdomen. And yet both were unharmed.

The two lovers reached the meadow's edge. Rumpelstiltskin glanced behind him to see himself one last time. Then, at Belle's insistence, he stepped into the forest to start a life with his love that would last all eternity.


	10. Chapter 10 Revelation

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the wait in between chapters. I was hoping to hold out another two weeks until the season one finale had aired, so if anything was revealed about any of the characters, or the final battle, I might could still stay semi-canon with this story. But I had an itch to write, and I figure if I need to, I can rewrite parts of the story, so here goes! **

Chapter 10 Revelation

Graham squinted down at Henry. "Aye, it's me." He moved out of the sunlight so he could see Henry better.

"Um...why did you throw that bag over my head and drag me off?" Henry gave Graham a quizzical glance.

He gave Henry a sheepish, lopsided grin. "I thought you were someone else at first."

"Who?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. But I certainly didn't expect to find you here. You!" Graham rubbed his stubbled cheek in distress. "Her own son! How did she do it?"

Now Henry was really giving him a confused look. "Do what?" he asked.

This was awkward. How does one tell the poor kid that he has been killed by Regina? "Um, well..." Graham paused, not wanting to speak the words aloud. "...howdidshekillyou?" he spat out quickly. There. He said it.

A long pause. Then a grin from the boy in front of him. "You think we're dead?"

Now it was Graham's turn to look confused. He crouched down in front of Henry and put his hand on his shoulder. "Yes, Henry, we are." He whispered roughly, choked by an onslaught of emotion.

The ground shook underneath them. Both Henry and Graham grabbed a nearby tree to hold onto. "What was that?" Graham cried, eyes wide with surprise. The tremor didn't last long, but it had lasting repercussions on the forest. It seemed...changed, somehow. But not in a bad way. It was as if the tremor had righted a wrong within the forest.

Henry was still grinning. "It's the curse!" he said gleefully. "It's still breaking!"

The tremor passed, and Graham and Henry released the tree from their embrace.

Graham staggered a bit, trying to get his balance back. He remembered Henry briefly telling him about Regina's dark curse she had placed on the land that had thrown them into a different one. One without magic. That was before Regina had...disposed of him. And he had been thrown here, in what he assumed was some sort of afterlife.

"So this isn't the afterlife." He stated, beginning to grasp what was happening. "I'm not dead? You...you're not dead?"

Henry stared at him and laughed. "Nope!" Henry jumped to his feet and grabbed Graham's hand, pulling him towards the depths of the forest. "Come on, we've got to go and defeat the Queen!"

"Whoa, there, Henry. The final battle has already started?"

Impatiently, Henry sighed. "Yes, now, come on!"

So that had been what all the clamor he had been hearing had been about. He hadn't ventured near it, because he had been distracted by seeing Henry. It all made sense now. He lead the way back through the forest (Henry had almost lead them further away from the battle), but one question still plagued his mind.

"Emma?" A simple word that held a multitude of underlying questions.

"You'll see." That was all the answer he got out of the kid. Graham sighed, and began to walk faster through the forest. They could hear the shouting and clanging of metal against metal before they could see it.

Finally, they reached the meadow. Graham drew a deep breath at the sight. Bodies, strewn everywhere, where broken and bloodied. The ground was soaked with the blood of both sides of the battle. It was as if he saw it all in slow motion. Swords flashed, clashed into one another. Flesh tore like fabric, further painting the scene of gore on the battlefield. And there in the midst of it all stood Emma. _His_ Emma. Her name danced on his lips as he breathed her name.

He gathered enough of his wits about him to tell Henry to stay on the edge of theforest, which Henry seemed happy enough to do. Then he started towards her. He stopped, bent down, and picked up a sword from a fallen soldier, shedding a tear for the man as he did.

Emma hadn't seen him. Not yet. He didn't expect her to. In fact, he was fully prepared for her to think he was a ghost. That was okay with him. Once they defeated the Queen, he would explain everything to her. And then they could finally have their happy ending. Together.


	11. Chapter 11 Open Doors

Chapter 11 Open Doors

Cold. It seeped into her bones and settled there. She shivered. All she wore was a thin, ragged dress. Her toes and fingers were blue.

Time. She had lost all sense of time. She saw the changing of days, but the days had dragged on into months? Years?

Memories. Who was she? Where was she? She didn't know anymore.

247. That was the number of stones holding together her prison. She had counted them. 1 door. 1 window. No escape.

Dreams. Her sleep was never restful. She was always plagued by the same vision.

A man. His dark, sad eyes stared at her as if staring into her very soul. Who was he? She felt she should know. She thought she should be angry at him, but she didn't remember why. Now all she felt was sorrow for his brokenness.

Escape. She had tried before, but she had been easily subdued. She felt a sudden urge to try again. Maybe this time would be different.

She beat on the door, yelled and screamed, until her throat was raw and her fists were bloodied. Odd. By now someone would have heard her.

She stood back, wiped her bloodied fists on her blue dress. Surely there was a way out of this cage.

She tried the doorknob out of desperation. It should have been locked. The door swung open. She peeked her head out, looked down the corridor both ways. No one was around. She ran.

She didn't question why the door was unlocked. She was just thankful to be free. As she tried to find her way out of what appeared to be someone's castle (how strange that there are no people around!), she found a loaf of dry bread and a glass of wine.

Quickly, she scarfed down the bread and the wine and was on her way again. She found out very quickly that trying to run when you have been locked up for a long time isn't a good idea. And neither was that wine.

Tipsy. She staggered and swayed a bit, the wine doing its work within her. She met the castle floor quickly, unceremoniously, as she fell. Her knees burned. New bloodstains appeared on her dress as her skinned knees pressed against the cloth.

Freedom. She made it outside. She squinted in the light of day. It was bright, warm, welcoming. She stood there, arms opened wide, drinking in the sunlight.

The false memories that had nudged at the edge of her consciousness were gone. She didn't know why they were there in the first place, but strange things had been happening since she had been locked away.

Belle. She remembered. Yes, her name was Belle. Regina. That was who had tricked her, imprisoned her. Rumpelstiltskin. The name sent a bitter twinge of pain through her heart. He was the man from her dreams. She had vowed she would find him again one day.

That is, if she could find him.


	12. Chapter 12 Showdown

Chapter 12 Showdown

Regina felt the powers of the Dark One working in her, changing her. She squelched any fear she had. She had seen what the powers had done to Rumpelstiltskin. But now was not the time to back down, to run away. She must finish what she started.

She hadn't wanted to kill Rumpelstiltskin. It wasn't in the original plan. But plans change. He was too unpredictable. He had made it impossible for her to win. She knew that the only way to make sure she came out victorious was to take the Dark One powers from him. It had all been too easy, really. His death was a small price to pay to complete her reign of vengeance.

She stalked towards Emma on the battlefield, picking her way around the fallen. The battle had gone on long enough. It was time to end this once and for all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Graham (Graham?) making her way towards Emma as well. She seethed bitterly. She had been outdone by Rumpelstiltskin again. How dare that imp make it where that damned Huntsman was still alive?

She smiled, her lips parting slightly. "Two birds, one knife", she hissed.

At least now the curse was breaking. The tremors that were occurring indicated that the curse had not fully been broken yet. She was tired of the curse. She had not expected Emma to be such a formidable enemy.

Once this hellish battle was over, she would create a new curse. A stronger curse. By taking on the powers of the Dark One, she had retained Rumpelstiltskin's knowledge of how he made the curse. But she had to kill Emma first.

The irony of it all was that she had planned the curse just for Snow White and her Charming to be torn apart. But it had gotten out of hand. Emma had distracted her. And for that, she would pay. In blood.


	13. Chapter 13 Imprisonment

Chapter 13 Imprisonment

Emma couldn't believe her eyes. "Graham?" she whispered, barely heard above the clang and clatter.

He crossed the last few yards between them. He touched her cheek sent a thrill of joy through her. "How..." her voice trailed off.

His deep soulful eyes met hers. "Later." he said softly. "I'll explain, later."

His attention was drawn away from Emma and focused on something behind her. Turning to look, she saw Regina coming quickly towards them. Emma shivered despite herself, though she didn't feel afraid. In fact, she felt a new strength in her, strength she didn't know she had.

Graham looked at Emma. Holding up his sword, he grinned at her. "You can do this!"

Before Emma could protest, that no, she couldn't do this, Regina stepped between her and Graham.

Emma could sense Regina had changed somehow. She assumed it must be some sort of magic, since that's what most power was in this crazy land she had been thrust into. That too, didn't frighten her.

"Well, well. Having fun, Miss Swan?" Regina laughed mockingly as she circled Emma.

Emma held her sword up to Regina's chest, following her every move. "I don't appreciate innocent people dying."

Regina's lips pouted "Yes, well, that was unavoidable, dear."

Emma couldn't remember later on who had swung their sword first, her or Regina. She also couldn't remember how long they went on fighting. But somehow she was able to hold her own against Regina.

_I wish Regina would just stand still so I could win_! Emma thought to herself.

Then, suddenly, Regina's sword flew out of her hand. Emma was surprised, but quickly collected herself, once again pointing her sword at Regina's chest.

Emma noticed Graham standing to the side with Regina's sword in hand. His eyes were wide with wonder. What had happened? Why was Regina not moving?

They must have all been right. She did have magic. Emma shook her head in amazement.

Regina sneered. "It seems you have won, Miss Swan. So go ahead. Finish me."

It was a tempting thought. Emma raised her sword. But she knew she couldn't do it. Emma threw her sword to the ground. "No." she said defiantly. "I can't do that. It would be too easy." She pointed her finger at Regina's face, making Regina look at her cross-eyed. "You must pay for all the pain you've caused us. So you will live. And remember." Emma looked over at Graham. "Do we have anywhere we can keep this witch?"

Graham nodded. "If everything is as it was, the enchanted prison in the dwarf mines where they used to keep Rumpelstiltskin should still be there."

Emma stepped closer to Regina, her sword still leveled at her chest. "Walk." she commanded.

Graham lead the way to the dwarf mine. As they walked through the battlefield, the fighting stopped. All Regina's army fled in terror, or was finished off quickly. Emma's army parted so she and her prisoner could walk through. Jeers and taunts echoed through the crowd.

Fortunately, there was an entrance to the dwarf mine nearby. Graham grabbed one of the lit torches in the tunnel opening. He turned to look at Emma. "Stay close." he said, and continued to lead the way.

Emma crept cautiously behind him as they descended further and further into the mine. "Do you even know where this prison is?"

Graham stopped in his tracks. "Well...no." he confessed.

"Well, lucky think you've got us here then." a voice said behind them.

The trio turned and looked behind them. James, leaning on Snow's shoulder, grinned. "Hey, I couldn't help fight much, but I can at least help put this devil behind bars."

Graham stepped to the side. "Lead the way!"

James and Snow made their way slowly through the tunnels, with Graham, Emma, and Regina trailing behind. Emma was suddenly reminded that they were her parents. It was strange to think they were practically the same age.

Two more turns, and they were there, in the most remote corner of the mine. James explained to Graham how to open the enchanted prison, and Graham and Emma dragged Regina roughly in and shut the door.

Regina stood regally in the back of her mew living space and sneered. "You can't keep me here forever, you know."

Emma, at long last, felt safe enough to put her sword away. Narrowing her eyes, she stared Regina down. "Don't count on it."

She turned around and saw Henry, who had apparently followed James and Snow in, peeking around the corner. He ran into her open arms. Emma hugged him tightly, not ever wanting to let go. "It's okay, Henry. It's okay. We're safe now. All our happy endings can come true."


End file.
